Second Chances
by Ali Nowac
Summary: Fate gives two French Revolutionary souls a second chance at love in modern day Paris.


**A/N: I know, I know! I haven't posed the next chapter of Catalyst. I'm writing it, but I haven't finished. It's getting longer. It will most likely be up tomorrow. I'm not sorry that I completely stopped writing that chapter of Catalyst to bring you this because this idea came to me and I just had to write it down. **

**As always, please read, fav, and review. I'd love to hear what you think. :) Also, if you enjoy this, please give my other stories a read!**

**I do not own either Arno or Elise, they belong to Ubisoft. **

_**Second Chances**_

He crossed his arms and leaned them against the railing of the Eiffel Tower, laying his chin against them with a sigh. He looked out over Paris, his eyes flitting down on _le Champ de Mar_s beneath him and at all the little people milling about their everyday lives. The wind brushed through his hair and he closed his eyes, visions of another time rushing through his brain in an unorganized jumble. He shook his head to clear it, opening his eyes.

Arno Dorian had never been a believer in past lives and reincarnation, but he'd been hoping to find a lot more than ordinary people and ordinary places in Paris. Born to an English father and a French mother, it was no surprise that the city of Paris held a stop grip on the young man's heart, but it wasn't just his heritage that had brought him to the heart of the City of Lights, it was something … _more. _Something he couldn't even begin to explain.

It was pull that brought him the alluring city and it was that same pull that pushed him to leave his room at the _Hotel de Londres Eiffel. _He'd been there several days already and every time he felt that pull, from when it had jerked him into _Notre Dame _or when it had tugged him into _le Louvre_, he turned up empty handed. And he was _really _searching. He was really looking for something that could be causing that tugging at his heart strings. Though, he didn't have a clue what it could be.

With a sigh, Arno glanced down at his phone. _5:30 PM_, flashed across the screen along with a quick text from his mother. A simple: _Hope you are having a nice time, chere. J'taime._ He sighed and pocketed his phone. He gave the view a final sweep before turning away from it and crashing headlong into a woman he didn't have proper time to get a good look at.

He stumbled backwards, holding his hands up in surprise and she stumbled backwards, in much the same position. He reached out as if to touch her elbows in hopes of steadying her. "_Euh, êtes-vous d'accord?_" He asked, his tongue sliding smoothly over the French.

She flashed him a small smile, nodding her head. She had bright red hair, falling across her shoulders like a river of liquid fire. Her eyes were a deep emerald, her skin the perfect mix. She was tall, only a few inches shorter than he. "_Oui, monsieur,_" she replied with a small smile, nodding towards where he'd been standing. "Enjoying the view?" she asked, and he nodded.

"It's a beautiful view," he said easily, glancing over his shoulder at it. When he looked back she was watching him, her face creased strangely. "_Mademoiselle_?" he questioned, touching her shoulder. It was then that something strange happened, a spark exploded from his hand and she jumped back away from him, her eyes wide. A tingle slid down his spine and he shivered, not at all enjoying that feeling.

"Did you feel that?" murmured the woman, rubbing her arms. "_Mon Dieu_, I've never felt anything that…" She paused, searching for the right word.

Arno offered a lopsided smile, lacking its cheer. "Powerful?" he suggested with a slight hand gesture, his eyes never leaving hers. She gave a faint nod, her eyes still wide and wondering. He slowly offered his hand, palm up, for her. She met his eyes and glanced from him to his hand. She placed hers on his and the same thing happened, only it swelled and a thousand things flashed across his vision.

"_I'm __**Arno**__." "__**Élise**__." _

"_You always were a __**bad**_ _influence." "Oh, but you were a __**worse**_ _one." _

"_You an __**Assassin**__, me a __**Templar**__." _

"_I had __**nothing**_ _to do with his death!" "But you did…" _

"_Just go...__**Please**__." _

"_He wants you __**dead**__, Élise." "What? You want to __**protect**_ _me?" _

"_I __**don't**_ _trust the __**Assassins**__." "...Do you __**trust me**__?" _

"_Can…can things ever go back to the way they were __**before**__, do you think?" "Do you? After everything that's __**happened**__? After everything we've __**lost**__?" _

"_So, that's it then? The course of __**history**_ _forever altered, __**never **__again to return?" "Maybe we can't go __**back**__, but going __**forward **__isn't necessarily an __**ending**__." _

"_**Élise, I love you.**_"

"_I thought we wanted the **same thing**." "What **I** wanted was **you**." _

"_Have you ever known __**me **__to __**need**_ _**saving? **__My __**fate **__is my own." _

"_I __**can **__take __**him**__." "__**No! **__You __**can't**__, not __**without me**__! __**ÉLISE**__!" _

Each memory hit with the force of a semi truck. Each one brought the pair closer to their knees and at last they dropped to their hands and knees on the floor of the Eiffel Tower. Neither moved, both breathed heavily.

"_Élise_?" his voice broke, quivering as he looked up, his hair falling into his eyes. Her eyes met his and her hand found his. She pulled something from her pocket and held it out to him.

"I've had this for years…" she murmured, showing off the pocketwatch in her hand. "I think it belongs to you… _Arno_."

He took her hand, holding it in both of his. "Élise…" he moved his hands to cup her face, his eyes beginning to burn. "Élise…I…"

She leaned up and kissed him, drawing him close to her. He was here, and she was too. And despite all the decades and all the obstacles that kept them apart, they were together. He pulled back, a slightly offended look on his face.

"You cheated," he murmured under his breath and Élise laughed softly, leaning her forehead against his.

"You took too long," she shot back and grinned.

He smiled back, his eyes glowing. "I love you, Élise," and then he cupped the back of her neck and kissed her again, drawing her nearer to him.


End file.
